Death of 3 Pakistani Soldiers and 3 Militants on the Afghan Border

At least 3 soldiers and 3 militants were killed in a gunfight between the Pakistani army and militants who attacked a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan. The Pakistani army stated in a statement today, Sunday, that 4 militants were also injured in the attack. The exchange of fire occurred early on Saturday morning in the town of Miran Shah in the North Waziristan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. The Pakistani army carried out search operations to track down those responsible for the attack and seized the militants' ammunition. The army confirmed its commitment "to eliminate the threat of terrorism." Attacks and exchanges of fire continue sporadically, even after the army declared the North Waziristan area cleared of militants, raising concerns that the Pakistani Taliban are regrouping in the region. Although a separate group, the Pakistani Taliban remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which took power in 2021 during the final weeks of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from the country after two decades of war.